>>2037658
>there are ways to be value oriented without bikes direct though

not really! your only real unused options under $1000 from a brick and mortar are going to be hybrids targeted at people who just want a bike shaped object. you can get reasonable quality hybrids starting at around $500 but if you're looking for anything with a road bike geometry or that will survive a trail you're looking at $1000 minimum because you aren't the mass market cyclist companies are going to offer lower priced options for. i bought a mercier from bikesdirect specifically because it was the only way i could get a road bike with an aluminum frame under $500. the used market wound up not being an option for me because i'm on the shorter end of the spectrum and you just can't find smaller adult sized 90s and early 2000s aluminum frame bikes secondhand where i live. they aren't old enough yet that people are dumping them on the market while clearing out their garage like you see with pre-90s steel frame bikes. hopefully that will change in the coming years but for now the stock of 90s to 2000s aluminum frame road bikes are rotting forgotten about in garages. you may well have more luck if you're looking for something more like a mountain bike, though